Top 12 All-Time Greatest Scottish Boxers

Whether or not tonight is a final farewell for Scotland’s Ricky Burns, there’s no question he’s had a tremendous career, one where he has probably over-achieved. Burns, a two-weight world champion who looks to start an earnest campaign for a third against Omar Figueroa, has certainly done enough to be recognized as one of the the best Scottish fighters of all-time. So where does he rank in the pantheon of other fighting Bravehearts over the years? Here’s how we rank ’em:

12 Paul Weir: Won the WBO world minimumweight title after just six fights in 1993 and the diminutive figure would capture two-weight glory one year later at light flyweight before being defeated by Scottish scourge, ‘Baby’ Jake Matlala on two occasions. Quick and always keen to take the fight to his opponent.

11 Pat Clinton: Scotland has had a knack of producing good little men and Clinton was certainly one of them. Clinton, from a family of 10 brothers and sisters, would do that rare thing of winning a fight on continental soil when he took the European flyweight title in 1990. In November 1991 he was fighting in a hotel; March 1992 he was winning a world flyweight title from Isidro Perez. Technically excellent and never lacked guts or self-belief.

Pat Clinton

10 Alex Arthur: A classy operator inside and outside the ring who, despite defeat, was involved in one of the greatest British fights of this century when he went to war with Michael Gomez for five rounds in 2003. Arthur, a tremendous body puncher, won British, Commonwealth, European and world honours at super featherweight.

9 Ricky Burns: One of the country’s more unlikely world champions. Learning fights against Alex Arthur and Carl Johanneson saw the boy become a man. Roman Martinez was meant to blow him away, and the rest is history. Burns would capture that WBO super featherweight title and go on to win the 135lb title. His career continues tonight against Omar Figueroa.

Ricky Burns

8 Scott Harrison: Menacing, brooding and in his prime a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, his fights with the wrong side of the law can make it hard to remember his ferocious ring exploits. A two-time WBO world featherweight champion who had been linked with fights against Barrera back in the day.

7 Tancy Lee: Or to give him his full name, James “Tancy” Lee. Despite not turning pro until into his 30s, Lee would defeat the legendary Jimmy Wilde in 1915 to win the British, European and IBU flyweight title. He would go on to win Lonsdale and European honours at featherweight.

6 Jim Watt: Watt, a long serving co-commentator for Sky Sports, surprised many by not going to the 1968 Olympic Games and instead turning pro. He went on to be world lightweight champion between 1979 and 1981, losing his crown to the great Alexis Arguello. Watt defeated American golden boy Howard Davis Jr. on Scottish soil in a memorable upset. The Olympic gold medallist and his team said ‘Jim who?’ beforehand, but they knew Watts’ name afterwards. So did everyone else.

Jim Watt surprised many.

5 Johnny Hill: Scotland’s first ever world champion. Hill would win British, European and World flyweight titles within two years. He was one of the biggest boxing stars of the 1920’s, and coached by Tancy Lee. A terrific left jab and punishing right hook, his rise to the top was a whirlwind. He died aged 23 of pneumonia, one night before he was due to defend his world title against Frankie Genaro.

4 Walter McGowan: England got the World Cup in 1966, Scotland got a boxing world champion. The son of a miner claimed the WBC flyweight title defeating Salvatore Burruni. McGowan had ambitions to be a jockey before embarking on a stellar amateur career. Heart and brains mixed in with clever punching. Two defeats to Chartchai Chionoi in 66 and 67 were bloody and valiant.

Walter McGowan (left) defeats Alan Rudkin on points.

3 Jackie Paterson: Paterson picked up the baton from Lynch to become world flyweight champion. A corporal in the Royal Air Force, Paterson got himself a crack at Peter Kane’s world flyweight title. Kane had narrowly lost to Lynch in 1937. Kane and Paterson met at Hampden Park in 1943 and went for each other’s throats, culminating in a one-round KO victory for Paterson, the first ‘lefty’ to win the flyweight crown. He would also win Commonwealth and European titles at bantamweight.

2 Ken Buchanan: A former world undisputed lightweight champion. Not many Scots would’ve survived in the Puerto Rican heat, let alone fighting Ismael Laguna, but he did in 1971. And would then beat the Panamanian again one year later. Scotland would never see him defend or fight for a world title on home soil thanks to a WBA/British boxing board feud, but they did see him stand up to Roberto Duran. Buchanan’s career is known for that controversial loss as much as his greatest victories.

Buchanan defeats Laguna.

1. Benny Lynch: One of the greatest flyweights ever, period, and Scotland’s greatest ever boxer. Born out of the tough Gorbals area of Glasgow, he developed his scrawny neck by doing special weight exercises. His defining bout came against Small Montana at Wembley in 1937 to become world champion. Alcoholism would be his greatest opponent as it took his life at just 33.

Hi James, thanks for post, Ginger Stewart was my Dad not Grandpa ( even though I’m only 49 now!) Bert and my Dad never fought, Dad started as a 16 yr old featherweight , winning lightweight title at 19 before going to war in’39, he fought while during the war years, winning the welterweight title, unfortunately he was shot in the leg and suffered other injuries, a French family nursed and hid him for 8 months before they managed to get him back home. He did fight at middleweight at the end of his career but Bert had gone to light heavyweight and retired. You might be thinking of Albert (Ginger) Sadd who Bert beat twice and drew once against. My Dad boxed out of George Blythes Gym in Hamilton. Ron Olver did a centre page obituary to Dad in Nov 1990. Bert was a great fighter, more than agree 🙂

yes Doug, I meant to say your Dad, sorry… a great story your Dad’s career, I have thousands of reports and your Dad is mentioned in many. a top and excellent fighter as I said.

I thing you read wrong that your Dad and Bert fought, I said I think they ‘both’ belonged to Tommy Gilmour and were a part of his stable of fighters… maybe not though as I mentioned. they knew each other well enough and along with Lynch, Jake Kilrain, wee Johnny McGrory, Bert, your Dad, Big Ken Shaw and a few others, they represented Scotland very well during that, the greatest overall period in Boxing history.

do you have any memories or insight into Bert’s career from talk with your Dad or any others… Bert went on to coach and train, McGowan, Mc Cormack and Calderwood too.

Hi James, I am the v/chair of the Scottish Ex Boxers Ass. I just came over your letter while trying to find stories to put in our newsletter. I would be very grateful if you could send or email me any stories you have. Thank you, Robert.

Shaun Brown says:May 10, 2015 at 5:24 pm

Sorry to hear that, Doug. Sounds like a story that needs told. Thanks for leaving the comment. All the best.

Perhaps I’ll tell it one day, it’d be a mix of boxing and post traumatic stress, he won through though, kinda summed him up. How do you live under that shadow as a son? Easy, live, give and be guided by who you are and where you’re from. Loved my Dad to bits, He gave for others and his family, then came home and gave. My eldest sister was born in ’41, that aside, boxing in Scotland was awesome then… Hat is doffed, what an era x

Bert Gilroy actually rates among the Top 5 and arguably Top 2 after Benny Lynch.

First of all, Lynch and Gilroy’s day was the single greatest period in boxing history without exception… overall it was harder to get to top level from anytime before it and anytime since.
the competition level was never greater.

Secondly, fighters are usually rated because they ‘held’ a world title and/or competed for one, of course therefore fighting another world champion. understandable but Not Always the Full Story, and in some cases completely misleading.

Some fighters were ducked and avoided to the point they couldn’t get near a title and in the case of Bert Gilroy, purposely passed over, dropped and completely disregarded by the Boxing Authorities despite his No.1 ranking and ‘official’ title status.

Bert Gilroy couldn’t get near a title from 1941-48, the war had nothing to do with it.

– Passed over in 1942, while still undefeated and still No.1 MW Contender.

– Dropped from contention 1944 while still No.1 MW and stepping up out of his weight even, in order to fight Britain’s two top big men Mills and Woodcock to further prove his status and worth.

– Refused a title fight by the board for Mills’ L-HW title from 1945 -48, now No.1 L-HW Contender, a title Mills held for 8 years and NEVER Defended once, not once… few people realize that.

look at Bert’s record and pictures, he is very clearly a MW, and yet was technically the 4th greatest Big Man in Britain at the time behind Woodcock, Mills and Scots HW Ken Shaw, whom he also beat in one of their two bouts questioned.

1943 – Dave McCleave was ALREADY chosen for a Final Eliminator contest for the MW title before meeting Bert that year, he couldn’t be scene to lose then could he… Bert had only lost 1 fight of 42 fights and 6 years, a points loss the very fight before this one.

in this bout against McCleave, Bert was disqualified in the second round, a near riot followed.

Vince Hawkins 1945 was being advance and protected towards the MW title, and like McCleave, Hawkins was ALREADY chosen for The TITLE against Roderick the Welterweight king, whom was given a Bye in 1942 for the MW title, given a Bye, a BYE (???)… anyway Hawkins too couldn’t be seen to lose now could he.

remember now, Bert’s status Before, After and DURING these fights, see above again and see the link I will provide below.

Bert Gilroy had NOTHING to do with what was DONE To Him, NOTHING…

the Most FEARED and Cheated Athlete in British Sporting History and the Second Greatest Scots fighter of All-time.

Looking for information on my uncles who were boxers in the 30’s & 40’s Peter Buchanan who was a pro & was one of Benny Lynch’s sparring partners.
Tommy Buchanan who was amateur & I believe was a Scottish district champion.
I would be grateful for any help on how to trace their careers.
Thanks Billy

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